MIAMI, FL - NOVEMBER 16: (L-R) Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, Martin Truex JR., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Toyota, Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Caramel Toyota and Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Ford talk to the media during media day for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship at the Loews Hotel on November 16, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Who will make the Championship 4 in 2018? Here's our way too early prediction.


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The NASCAR season finished a month ago, but the 2018 season is just around the corner. The season opener at Daytona is less than two months away, and Martin Truex Jr. will look to defend his first career championship.

While the Championship 4 from 2017 -- Truex, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick -- all have the potential to return to Homestead to compete for the title in 2018, it's unlikely the same four drivers will be racing for the championship next season.

So which four drivers will compete for the title next season? Can Truex repeat, or will another champion add to their legacy? Could there be another first-time champion next season? Here are our way-too-early predictions for the 2018 Championship Four.

Kyle Larson 

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Larson won four races in 2017, and he was expected to contend for the championship before he suffered engine failure in the final race in the Round of 12.

Larson nearly played spoiler in the championship race at Homestead, but it seemed like he held back a bit and let Truex and Busch battle it out for the title. But the four races before that were less than ideal as he didn't finish higher than 37th during that stretch.

However, Larson was near the top for most of the season, and he has the ability to win the title next year. He had four wins and 11 top-5s last year, and the 25-year-old will be in the discussion again in 2018 provided his team can correct his engine woes.

Also, Larson drives a Chevy, and the new Camaro is being unveiled next year. If the Camaro is as good as expected, it will help Larson and the rest of the Chevy drivers catch up with Toyota drivers.

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Related: Kyle Larson says his 2-year-old son learned an NSFW word from a NASCAR legend

Chase Elliott

No, Chase Elliott hasn't won a race yet in the Cup Series. But the 22-year-old still finished fifth on the year, and he was very close to winning his first race down the stretch in the playoffs.

Elliott has the talent and ability to win the title, and he made steady improvements throughout the year. He had six top-5 finishes in the playoffs, including four races where he was the runner-up. He has the championship pedigree, and he drives for a team in Hendrick Motorsports that has won numerous titles.

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Experience might not be on Elliott's side, but he will unquestionably be hungry for a title given how close he was in 2017. He'll also likely be the fan favorite after Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s retirement, so he'll have the support from fans each week.

Like Larson, Elliott will also have the advantage of driving the new Camaro. We're expecting that to be a major bonus for Chevy teams, and Elliott could benefit greatly from the new model.

Elliott will likely need to earn his first victory to make it to the Championship 4, but something tell us he won't have much of an issue in that department next season.

Denny Hamlin

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How great would this be? Hamlin vs. Elliott for a title. The two drivers formed an intense rivalry after Hamlin wrecked Elliott and then Elliott returned the favor in the playoffs, and they likely cost each other a spot in the Championship 4 for 2017.

After Truex won the title, Hamlin might be the most accomplished driver in the Cup Series without a championship. The 37-year-old has 31 Cup Series wins, but the closest he came to winning a title was in 2010 when he finished second.

While Chevy could make strides in catching Toyota next season, don't expect Toyota drivers to fall off next year. Hamlin finished sixth -- one spot behind Elliott -- and he was very close to contending for a title.

Hamlin might be Public Enemy No. 1 next year amongst NASCAR fans, but we expect him to contend for the title in 2018.

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Related: The Denny Hamlin-Chase Elliott feud goes to a new level with these comments

Kyle Busch

Busch is another driver who's no stranger to being the enemy, but he's also no stranger to competing for championships. He won the Cup Series title in 2015, and he was very close to winning another title in 2017.

Busch won five races last season -- all of which came in the second half of the year -- en route to a second place finish behind Truex. He's finished in the top three in each of the last three seasons, and he is one of the most skilled drivers in the sport.

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There's no reason to expect a drop-off from the 32-year-old Busch next year. He'll have a fast car, a great team at Joe Gibbs Racing, and he has the aforementioned talent to contend for the title. NASCAR fans might not like him, but no one would be surprised if Busch is back in the Championship 4 for the third straight year.

It was tough to omit Truex considering he just won the title, and we expect him to make the playoffs again. Also, leaving out Jimmie Johnson is never a good idea, but we didn't like what we saw from the No. 48 in the second half of last season.

We'll take Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin as our Championship 4 for 2018. Stay tuned for our preseason prediction for the 2018 championship.

 

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